Maximum Bob (TV series)

For the lead singer of the Deli Creeps, see Maximum Bob (singer).

Maximum Bob
The show's titlecard, showing characters Wanda Grace, Leanne Gibbs, "Maximum" Bob Gibbs, Kathy Baker and Sheriff Gary Hammond
Genre	Comedy drama
Starring	Beau Bridges, Liz Vassey
Country of origin	USA
Original language	English
No. of seasons	1
No. of episodes	7
Production
Running time	60 minutes
Production companies	Sonnenfeld Josephson Worldwide Entertainment Warner Bros. Television
Original release
Network	ABC
Release	August 4 – September 15, 1998

Maximum Bob is a television series that debuted in 1998 on ABC TV. Starring Beau Bridges, the show was based on Elmore Leonard's 1991 novel with the same title.

Premise

The series centered on Bob Gibbs (played by Bridges), an ultra right-wing judge known for giving the maximum sentence to defendants. Other characters included the judge's psychic wife Leanne (Kiersten Warren) who channels the spirit of a young slave girl named Wanda Grace (Rae'Ven Larrymore Kelly); a widower sheriff with a knack for ballroom dancing; and Kathy Baker, a comely spitfire public defender (Liz Vassey) from Miami. The storylines served mainly to introduce the cast of eccentric characters, and were set in the fictional back woods Florida town of Deepwater.

Judge Gibbs' young wife performed in a mermaid show until she nearly lost her life to an alligator, after which she abruptly retired from the business and can no longer even go in her swimming pool. Baker comes to Deepwater on a case and becomes a romantic target for the local sheriff, as well as a potential conquest for the always lustful judge. The show also includes a family of inbred, myopic, dysfunctional people with a criminal bent.

Episodes

#	Episode title	Director	Writer(s)	Overview	Original airdate
1	Pilot	Barry Sonnenfeld	Alex Gansa	Public defender Kathy Baker visits the small Florida town of Deepwater to defend a young client being used as a pawn by a politically minded judge. She stumbles onto the town's many peculiarities including a criminally minded backwoods family, an abusive deputy, alligators running rampant, and a crazed environmentalist, all presided over by an eccentric judge, "Maximum" Bob Gibbs.	4 August 1998
2	Wandalust	Todd Holland		Bob 'borrows' a convict from the prison to serve as his personal gardener, leading to problems when Wanda Grace chooses him to be her first love. Leanne willingly donates her body for Wanda's use. Bob bursts in, leading to a large manhunt and a kidnapped baby.	11 August 1998
3	Bay of Big's	Marc Buckland		Bob enjoys the satisfaction when he busts he ex-wife Rosellen for smuggling Cuban cigars into the country. His satisfaction is short-lived when two federal agents arrive, claiming that Rosellen is a federal operative. Determined to get to the bottom of things, Bob spies on Rosellen and in the process gets captured and held hostage by Cuban Freedom Fighters. Meanwhile, in another part of Deepwater, Kathy and Sheriff Hammond practice for an upcoming dance contest.	18 August 1998
4	A Little Tail	John David Coles	Molly Newman	Kathy represents a man being refused a job as a mermaid. Dirk and Bogart Crowe refuse to return their pet manatee to its rightful owner. Kathy represents her estranged husband Kevin after he is brought before Judge Gibbs for traffic violations. Kevin tries to convince Kathy he is a changed man.	25 August 1998
5	Good Dog Karl	Elodie Keene		Kathy befriends a dog that saved her life. Meanwhile, the whole town is up in arms over a beast of some sort that attacked a young woman, biting off three fingers. According to witnesses (the Crowe family) the beast was either a Gatorman or the Okeechobee Wolfman. Judge Gibbs hires an exorcist to cast out Wanda Grace.	1 September 1998
6	Dead Babe Walking	Félix Enríquez Alcalá		Bob falls for Angelyne, a born-again death row inmate. After 'Old Sparky' blows a fuse, Bob works with Kathy to find a way to let the prisoner off the hook. Meanwhile, Inez Crowe comes to work as Leanne's personal aide.	8 September 1998
7	Once Bitten...	Kenneth Fink		Judge Gibbs' gubernatorial campaign is temporarily derailed by allegations of sexual assault leveled by a former intern. Elvin Crowe and Sheriff Gary hunt down Sonny and another convict after the two break out of prison.	15 September 1998

Cast

• Beau Bridges as Judge Bob Gibbs
• Liz Vassey as Kathy Baker
• Sam Robards as Sheriff Gary Hammond
• Kiersten Warren as Leanne Lancaster
• Rae'Ven Larrymore Kelly as Wanda Grace
• William Sanderson as Dicky Crowe

External links

• Maximum Bob at IMDb
• Maximum Bob at TV.com
• Maximum Bob Episode Guide at epguides.com